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Echocardiographic abnormalities in children with obstructive breathing disorders during sleep

Silke Anna Theresa Weber1, Jair Cortez Montovani, Beatriz Matsubara

  • 1Departamento de Oftamologia, Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeca e Pescoco, Universidade Estadual de Sao Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. silke@fmb.unesp.br

Jornal De Pediatria
|November 30, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children with obstructed breathing during sleep show cardiac abnormalities, including right and left ventricle changes. These findings suggest potential cardiovascular risks and increased anesthetic/surgical risks in affected children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Physiology

Background:

  • Obstructed breathing during sleep (OBS) is increasingly recognized in children.
  • The cardiac implications of OBS in pediatric populations require further elucidation.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for risk stratification and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate cardiac morphology and function in children experiencing obstructed breathing during sleep.
  • To compare echocardiographic findings between children with OBS and healthy controls.
  • To identify potential cardiovascular repercussions associated with pediatric OBS.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was performed on 40 children (3-11 years), including 30 with OBS and 10 controls.
  • Assessment focused on right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) morphology and function during systole and diastole.
  • Statistical analysis used Student's t test to compare groups (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

  • Children with OBS exhibited enlarged RV dimensions and reduced RV area variation between systole and diastole.
  • Reduced LV diastolic diameter, ejection fraction, and contractility were observed in the OBS group.
  • These findings indicate significant cardiac remodeling and functional impairment in children with OBS.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric OBS is associated with significant morphological and functional cardiac abnormalities in both the right and left ventricles.
  • These cardiac changes suggest that OBS can lead to cardiovascular repercussions in children.
  • The identified abnormalities may increase anesthetic and surgical risks for children with OBS.
Abstract

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